Tape measuring and marking machine



Y Oct. 30; 1945. D. ADAMS 2,387,867

TAPE MEASURING AND MARKING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1943 Sheets-Sheet 1Get. 30, 1945-. D. ADAMS 2,387,867

TAPE MEASURING AND MARKING MACHINE v A Filed March 9, 1945 ssheets-sheet 2 Inventor Oct. 30, 1945. D. ADAMS I 2,387,867

I TAPE MEASURING AND MARKING MACHINE Filed March 91, 1943 8'Sheets-Sheet 3 azi- I Inventor F0 07: Adams WW e]:

Oct; 30, 1945.1 11 AD TAPE MEASURING AN D MARKING MACHINE Filed March 9,1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 a Inventor 27 675 #aaws I fi e/we; Zi

Oct. 30, 1945. D. ADAMS 2,387,867

TAPE MEASURING AND MARKING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1943 8 Sh'eets Sheet 5\A I/ ///I D. ADAMS TAPE MEASURING AND MARKING MACHINE Filed March 9,1943 a Sheets-Sheet 6 Inventor Dock Adams Get. 30, 1945. D. ADAMS2,337,867

TAPE MEASURING AND MARKING MACHINE I Filed March 9 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 7Oct. 30, 1945; D. AbAMs 2,387,367

TAPE MEA SURING AND MARKING MACHINE I Filed March 9, 1943 8 Sheets-Shqet8 jock Hyde/m5 'Illlllllill Inventor Wye/10y 19m Patented Oct. 30, 1945UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAPE MEASURING AND MARKING MACHINE DockAdams, Whitesburg, Ky.

Application March 9, 1943, Serial No. 478,563

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in means formeasuring and marking elongated work and more particularly to a machinefor measuring and marking tape.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a machine inwhich a roll of unmeasured tape can be placed and automatically measuredin predetermined lengths, marked at said lengths and rewound.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a machine of thecharacter stated wherein the parts are readily accessible for thepurpose of placing or unplacing rolls of tape and further to reachvarious parts for the purpose of repairs or replacement.

Other important objects of the invention will become apparent to thereader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevational View of the machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional View takensubstantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure shown in Figure1.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 'I! ofFigure 5.

Figure 8 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 8-8 ofFigure 5.

Figure 9 is an end elevational view of the machine looking at the end tothe left in Figure 1.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view through the fountain marker.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially0n the line I I-I I of Figure 9.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyon the line I2-I2 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary top plan View showing a modified form ofstamping and measuring device.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a modifiedform of marker.

Figure 15 is an end elevational View of the marker looking at the lowerend thereof.

Figure 16 is a longitudinal sectional View of the modified form ofstamping and measuring device taken substantially on the line I'uIo ofFigure 13.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, itcan be seen that numeral 5 denotes a base upon which is mounted a frame,this frame consisting of a pair of leg members 6, 1 rising from one endof the base and a second pair of legs 8, 9 rising from the opposite endof the base. A pair of horizontal beams I9, II having filler blocks I2interposed between the end portions thereof and suitably securedtogether in conjunction with filler strips I3, I4 complete the frame ingeneral.

The leg I is hinged at its lower end as at I5 to the base 5 and asuitable latch I6 is provided between its upper end and the beam I I.The leg 9 is likewise hinged as at I1 and provided with a latch as atI8. These hinged legs allow for the placement of an unmeasured roll l9of tape be tween the legs 6, I and the removal of a roll 29 of measuredand marked tape from between the legs 8 and 9.

Supported by the leg 6 as shown in Figure 9, is a swingable arm 2|provided with a roller 22 for the purpose of affording some pressureagainst the tape on the roll I9 in order that the tape shall not loosen.

Mounted upon the base 5 is an electric motor 23 which has a flexibleshaft drive line 24 to a worm 25 located in one side of a housing 26, inwhich is located a gear 21 with which the worm 25 meshes.

The gear 21 is keyed to a shaft 28 which is disposed through a bearing29 located in the leg 8 and a block 30 attached thereto; The shaft 23has a threaded portion 3'I on to which is threadedly disposed the hubportion of a substantially large banking disk 32. A reduced pintle 33projects from the threaded portion 3| and is preferably provided with aspline rib over which the spool 20 (see Figure 1) can be disposed. Asshown in Figure '3, the leg 9 preferably has a recess or socket 34 forthe purpose of receiving the free end of a spindle 33, it of coursebeing understood that the leg 9 is hinged so that it can be swung awayfrom the spindle 33 to permit re- 'moval of the spool'ZO-with its meshedand marked tape thereon.

Mounted on plates 35 secured to beveled end portions of the beams II],II are guide rollers 36, 31' over which tape 38 from the roll I 9 istrained.

As shown in Figure 12, the filler strips I3, I4 are cut away to define avertical opening in which are mounted a pair of rolls 39, 39. Theserolls 39, 39 are spaced apart in order that a pressure roll 40 maypartly interlap the same as shown in Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 12, a pressure exerting finger 4! is mounted on thefiller strip I3 at a point between the guide roller 36 and the roll 39,this finger 4! being provided with a spring 42 for forcing the samedownwardly against the plate 43 or against a tape 38 when a tape isdisposed between the plate 43 and the finger M.

The invention further embodies a stamping and measuring device generallyreferred to by numeral 46 (see Figure 5). This device includes a shaft45 having its end portions disposed through arcuate slots 45 in the sidewalls 4'1, 41 of a hinged frame, this frame beinghingedly secured as at48 to the beam H] (see Figure 7).

Suitabl latch means 49 is provided between the frame and the beam H.

On the shaft 45 is the pressure roll 4!] and also a gear 59. Threadedmembers 5|, 5| are disposed downwardly through the side walls 41, 41with their lower ends bearing against the end portions of the shaft 55in order to hold the roll 4!! in proper relation with respect to therolls 33, 39.

The gear 5!! meshes with a gear 52 on a shaft 53 and this gear 52, inturn, meshes with the pinion 54 located on a shaft 55, these shafts allbeing supported by the side walls 41. A tensioning spring 55 is providedon one side wall 41 for riding a disk 51 on the shaft 55 in order toprevent any free action of the gears.

On the disk 51 is a cam 58 against which the adjacent end of a rocker 59rides, this cam having an interruption therein in order that the rocker59 from time to time is free in order to release a marking devicegenerally referred to by numeral 60.

The rocker 59 is carried by a shaft 6| interposed between the side walls41 and this shaft 6! has a lug 62 from which extends a tension spring53, normally tending to hold the rocker 59 down against a cushion block64 supported on a pan 55 swingably supported as at 66. This pan has arod 6! swivelly connected at its lower end thereto, as at 68 and theupper end of this rod is threadedly disposed through a bridge member 68.Adjustment of the rod 61 is desired in order that the cushion block 54is maintained at a precise position, that is, where the tension of thespring 63 will maintain the arm 59 resting on the block 5 in such aposition to barely maintain the marking point of the device 60 off, ofthe tape 38 when the free end of the rocker 59 is disengaged from thecam 58. A tensioned rider 69 is provided for the tape 38 just in advanceof the point of the marking device 60.

The marking device 65 consists of a vertically disposed cylinder 75provided with a circumferential shoulder H for abutment with a clampstructure 72 located on the adjacent end of the rocker 53. The clampstructure embodies two bands as and 11 between which the shoulders areinterposed. This cylinder '10 is a reservoir for containing a markingfluid 12 and has a vented cap 73. This reservoir may be of brass orglass. A plug l4 preferably of brass or glass is provided and insertedin the lower end of the cylinder reservoir 70 and this has a bore 15therethrough for receiving a tube 16 in which is located a valve element11 located on the upper end of a pen or marking element 18. A spring 79serves to urge the valve 11 downwardly against the seat 80, but when thepoint or pen [3 strikes the tape 38 (see Figure 5) the valve 11 islifted and some of the fluid runs out on the tape, thus marking thetape.

In the operation of the device, it can now be seen, that the legs '1, 9are swung downwardly in order to remove the filled roll 20 and insert aroll IQ of unmeasured and marked tape. The end of the tape is now runover the guide roller 35 and over the rolls 39, 49 and under thetensioning elements 4|, 69, the marking and measuring device 44 havingbeen swung to the broken line position shown in Figure 7. The tape isnow run over the guide roller 31 and down to the roll 29. The device 44is now swung over onto the tape, the tape being depressed down betweenthe rolls 39, 39 as shown in Figure 5 and the device 44 latched by thedetent 49.

The motor 23 is now started and serves to rotate the take-on roll 20,pulling the tape 38 through the mechanism of the measuring and markingdevic 44. As this takes place, the tape rotates, the roll 43 and throughthe gears 50, 52 and 54 the disk 51 is operated, carrying the cam 58against the adjacent end of the rocker 59. When the cam 58 leaves theend of th rocker 59, the spring 63 suddenly jerks the marker end of therocker 59 downwardly, with the result that the point '18 makes a mark onthe tape 38, this marking operation is only momentary, because thecushioning block 64 made of sponge rubber will sustain the rocker 59against anything but a momentary touch of the tape 38.

A modification of the stamping and measuring device is shown in Figures13 and 16 and a modified form of marker is shown in Figures 14 and 15.

The modified stamping and measuring device is generally referred to byreference character 44a, the same having side walls 41a, 41a which arebridged by shafts 45a, 53a and 5511, which correspond to the shafts 45,53 and 55 in the form of the invention shown in Figure 5. The shaft 45acarries a feed roll 4011 which cooperates with a pair of underlyingidler rolls 39a, 39a in feeding tape 38a. The shaft 45a has adjustingmeans 5| a which corresponds to the adjusting means 5| shown in Figure5.

On th shaft 53 is an idler gear 52a corresponding to the gear 52, thismeshing with a pinion 50a on the shaft 45a which is employed instead ofthe gear wheel 50 in Figure 5. The idler gear 52a also meshes with alarge gear 54a which, is employed in place of the pinion 54 located onthe shaft 55 in Figure 5. A- cam 58a corresponding to the cam 58 inFigure 5 may be located directly on one side of the gear 54a. It canthus be seen, that the arrangement of gears in the modified form of theinvention is substantially reverse from that shown in the form shown inFigure 5.

Figures 14, 15 and 16 show a modified form of marker and this isgenerally referred to by reference character 60a. This marker 60a issupported substantially in the same manner as the marker 60 and isactuated by the cam trip mechanism shown in Figure 5.

The modified form of marker consists in the provision of a cylinder 78in which a suitable marking fluid 72a, is placed and in the bottom ofwhich is located a plug Ma of brass or glass.

A barrel 15a extends vertically in the plug 74a and has a slide valve11a therein normally urged downwardly by a spring 1911, this element Tiahaving a valve structure a cooperative with a seat in the lower portionof the barrel 15a.

The lower portion of the barrel 15;: has a socket therein receiving aportion of a cushion-block I00 having a central opening through whichdepends a pin 18a projecting from the element "a at a short distancebelow the block I00, this pin 78a functioning the same as the element 18of the marker shown in Figure 10.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specificterms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a tape measuring and marking machine, a base frame, a pay-offroll, and a take-on roll mounted on said frame in spaced-apart relationto provide a horizontal traveling run of tape therebetween, a markingdevice adapted to overlie said run, means to operate said device bytravel of said run including a pressure roll adapted for overlyingengagement with said run,

and gearing driven by said roll, and means to mount said device, rolland gearing above said run for swinging movement into and from overlyingrelation to said run.

2. In a tape measuring and marking machine, a base frame, a pay-01froll, and a take-on roll mounted on said frame in spaced-apart relationto provide a horizontal traveling run of tape therebetween, a markingdevice adapted to overlie said run, means to operate said device bytravel of said run including a pressure roll adapted for overlyingengagement with said run, gearing driven by said roll, means to mountsaid device, roll and gearing above said run for swinging movement intoand from overlying relation to said run, and a pair of horizontallyspaced rollers on said base frame for supporting said run and betweenwhich and said pressure roll the run is frictionally gripped when thepressure roll is swung into such overlying relation.

3. In a tape measuring and marking machine, a base frame, a pay-offroll, and a take-on r011 mounted on said frame in spaced-apart relationto provide a horizontal traveling run of tape therebetween, a markingdevice adapted to overhe said run, means to operate said device bytravel of said run including a pressure roll adapted for overlyingengagement with said run, gearing driven by said roll, and means tomount said device, roll and gearing above said run for swinging movementinto and from overlying relation to said run, said means comprising ahinged frame.

DOCK ADAMS.

